These are private notes from controversial questions (ONLY) and not expert opinions that I share public! If you pick qualms, please write a rebuttal, and I will post it right here or send me what you want added or taken out. I am willing to debate anybody. The pictures and videos are from the internet public domain and belong to their owners. If you don’t want them here, advise. My hope is that you will know about life, life after death and eventually meet Christ.

Monday, May 6, 2013

It took me
time because I wanted to answer this question in great depth. Tithes are the
tenth of your income unto God, not to the Levites but unto God. The tithes
would then be used for the Levites and the entire house of God so that there is
no lack. (Mal 3:10). Abraham began tithes to Melchisedec: king of
Salem (Gen 14:17-20; Heb 7: 2-4). Jacob continued the practice even
before the law was set (Gen 28:22; Gen 35:7). In Leviticus, God required the
people to give a tenth deal of flour. To contextualize it, it would mean what
you could afford as income. In Numbers 18:21, God says he has given the Levites
all the tenth in Israel for their services. That is because the Levite did not work
besides serving in the tabernacle. In modern organizations where the prelate
has a salary or a job, then they are not required to partake of the tithes.
Nonetheless, tithes are still required for the maintenance of the building and
paying of the bills just like the tithes of those days were for caring for the
temple and its necessities. The necessity of tithing does not make it biblically
normative as we will see in the scripture.

Before it
became a law (Deut 14:22), it was a voluntary act as seen in Abraham’s and
Jacob’s actions.Abraham gave once
because during that time it was a voluntary act and despite giving his tenth of
his spoils, he then wanted to offer the greatest of sacrifices: his son Isaac.
Such was the track record of a giver whose act was no more necessary to be
proven, for it spoke for itself. When it became law, it was required per every
income because Israelites had become selfish even unto God their giver.

No doubt and
without bargain, God required the Israelites give their tithes (one tenth of
our income) and offerings. However, the issue is with the idea of giving
because a man of God prophesied that if you give or sow seeds, miracles will
happen to you, yet when you gave nothing happened. Such was not good prophecy
and the giver should desist from giving those types of gifts. They know that is
what you want to hear. There is one thing you must know with the blessings and
prayers that God answers. If you are praying for food and God does not give you
food; He knows how he will make you to survive.

Those
prophecies are destined to swindle from the people. That is what I call Retiary
Gospel. It is crookery when people use the Bible to deceive others into giving.
With agricultural syllogism of sowing seed, farmers do not need a big seed to
reap a big harvest. All they need is a good seed and a good seed is one’s life
that they live for the glory of God. Some have given monster seeds and did not receive
while others gave a mustard seed and received. Such was not good prophecy and
the giver should desist from giving those types of gifts.

The problem
today is that the priest and Levites of today are far more in affluence than
the giving parishioners and that is where the problem lies. Ministers today
have financial hegemonies while their congregants are samples of pauperism. .

Tithes were
not just an Old Testament concept, but their application was different in the
days of Jesus. Rather, he condemns the spirit behind it as in the parable of
the Pharisee and the publican (Lk 18:10-14). Jesus neither condemned nor promoted
the exercise of tithing. To Jesus, no amount of giving would outweigh a
contrite spirit.

Therefore, with the advent of Jesus,
tithes (although not annulled) reverted to the old position of Abraham and
Jacob on voluntary giving or offering. Was Isaac more than 1/10 of his income? That is why
Jesus does not condemn them nor does he promote them. Consequently, the spirit
behind the act of giving is what matters rather than the gift itself. That is
why the widow’s mite is more important than the gifts of the rich.

It should also be clear that one does not need to give to be blessed because we
serve a compassionate God that blesses the farm of the wicked like that of the
righteous (Mt 5:45). However, there are certain blessings that only go as
fulfillment of the promised of fulfilled conditions. The fact that we prayed
does not mean that God will answer. There are a couple of reasons why our
prayers may not be answered: if it was not the appointed time for God to solve
that issue, (Eccl 3:1), to test our faith (I Pet 1:7; I Cor 10:11), to make us
dependent on God (2 Cor 12:7-10) and if we are living in sin (Jer 5:25; Jer
4:18).

If God made you a promise, you should receive. The reason why you don’t receive
is because God did not promise it to you. The Bible says: “God is not a
man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he
said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make
it good?” (Num 23:19). If God opens a door for you nobody and nothing can shut
it (Rev 3:8). If the door closes on you it is because it was not God who opened
it. Jeremiah told the people: “Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen:
for I will hasten my word to perform it.” (Jer 1:12). God will always fulfill
his word.God loves a cheerful giver so don't give with a grudging heart. The more you give, the more God will open the windows of heaven to bless you.

Until then,
I hope I have answered your question.

St Arrey of
Ntenako.

“Bonyfish beware because the same net that caught the jawless fish, caught the cartilaginous fish” (Hamilton Ayuk).
Beware earthly paradise seekers because there is a serpent in every paradise"(Hamilton Ayuk).
"It is not how well you know a person; it is how well you treat them that they will live longer and happier with you."
Idle people write, idler people read, and idlest people read and whine that idle people are taking their time (Hamilton Ayuk).

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